Coffee/Tea/Tobacco

Historical Context

Patent medicine on parade. One remedy to purify the blood, clear the complexion, cure constipation and headache, and serve as the "Best Medicine for Babies and Children": claims like these ran freely before the federal Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. Garfield Tea and Garfield Tea Syrup were made by the Garfield Tea Company of Brooklyn, New York, and examples of the products are held in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

Pigs in their Sunday best. Dressed animals were among the most popular trade card subjects, and this courting couple, parasol and cane in hand, is a fine example for collectors of pigs and comic animals.

Condition

Very good for its age. Front: bright color; a faint vertical crease line near the right edge in the lower half; the card was cut close at the right, so the end of the heading runs off the edge; light toning; corners sharp to lightly worn. Back: light toning; a small grey smudge by "Cures"; a small dark fleck in "Garfield" in the lower text; a faint round dent in the left margin near the top; partial printing from the neighboring card along the left edge. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in black type, separate from the color work on the front.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Victorian advertising trade cards for patent medicines, coffee and baking soda are in our store.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

Glazed coffee. Chicago roaster W. F. McLaughlin & Co. sold its XXXX brand roasted in the whole bean and coated with a glaze, and the back of this card makes the case in the company's own words. The firm names its own houses in Rio de Janeiro and Santos, Brazil, the coffee ports.

Collect the set. McLaughlin's issued its picture cards in numbered series, packed one to a package, and families saved them in albums.

Condition

Front: excellent, bright color. Back: light toning. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in black.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More McLaughlin's cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=mclaughlin

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Glazed coffee. Chicago roaster W. F. McLaughlin & Co. sold its XXXX brand roasted in the whole bean and coated with a glaze, and the back of this card makes the case in the company's own words. The firm names its own houses in Rio de Janeiro and Santos, Brazil, the coffee ports.

Collect the set. McLaughlin's issued its picture cards in numbered series, packed one to a package, and families saved them in albums.

Condition

Front: excellent, bright color. Back: light toning. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in black.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More McLaughlin's cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=mclaughlin

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Victorian promotional trade cards were a popular form of advertising in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, often featuring colorful illustrations of children, animals, or sentimental scenes. These cards were distributed by businesses to showcase their products and services, serving as both an advertisement and a collectible item. They were frequently given away with purchases, encouraging brand loyalty and providing a tangible reminder of the company.

Ref: 1.0526

• Please visit our store as we are constantly adding more items of all types. Thank you!

Historical Context

Glazed coffee. Chicago roaster W. F. McLaughlin & Co. sold its XXXX brand roasted in the whole bean and coated with a glaze, and the back of this card makes the case in the company's own words. The firm names its own houses in Rio de Janeiro and Santos, Brazil, the coffee ports.

Collect the set. McLaughlin's issued its picture cards in numbered series, packed one to a package, and families saved them in albums.

Condition

Front: excellent, bright color. Back: toned, with a spot. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in black.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More McLaughlin's cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=mclaughlin

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The coffee that came with a picture. Lion Coffee began in Toledo, Ohio, in 1864 and became part of the Woolson Spice Company in 1882. Alvin Woolson built the brand by putting picture cards in every package, and the back of this card says so.

Condition

Front: excellent, bright color. Back: light toning. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in a single brown ink.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Lion Coffee cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=lion+coffee

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The coffee that came with a picture. Lion Coffee began in Toledo, Ohio, in 1864 and became part of the Woolson Spice Company in 1882. Alvin Woolson built the brand by putting picture cards in every package, and the back of this card says so.

Condition

Front: excellent, bright color. Back: light toning. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in a single brown ink.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Lion Coffee cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=lion+coffee

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The coffee that came with a picture. Lion Coffee began in Toledo, Ohio, in 1864 and became part of the Woolson Spice Company in 1882. Alvin Woolson built the brand by putting picture cards in every package, and the back of this card says so.

Condition

Front: very good, clean color. Back: light toning. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in a single brown ink.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Lion Coffee cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=lion+coffee

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Description

This advertising trade card, with its depiction of a young girl holding a letter and a basket of flowers, likely served as a greeting card or a promotional item for a company that dealt with correspondence or floral arrangements. The style of the girl's dress, with its puffed sleeves and ruffled hem, along with her hairstyle, places it firmly within the late Victorian or Edwardian period. Such cards are sought after by collectors for their artistic merit, historical significance, and nostalgic appeal.

More Historical Context about Lion Coffee

Lion Coffee was a popular brand in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for its distinctive advertising campaigns that often included collectible trade cards. These cards were a common marketing strategy to encourage repeat purchases and build brand loyalty among consumers. The brand's advertising often highlighted the quality and purity of their coffee, differentiating it from competitors. This particular advertisement promotes the idea that Lion Coffee is not glazed, implying a superior, pure flavor compared to other brands that might use a "cheap coating." The mention of a "Picture Card" being included in each package further emphasizes the collectible nature of the brand's promotional materials during the Victorian era. These cards are now sought after by collectors of ephemera and advertising history.

• Time Period: Circa 1890-1910
• Origin: United States
• Composition: Cardstock with color printing
• Dimensions: H: 4" x W: 2.5" (approximate)
• Please reivew pictures carefully as they are part of the item description and condition.

Historical Context

Trade cards were a popular form of advertising and collectible ephemera during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Often featuring colorful illustrations, they were distributed by manufacturers and retailers to promote their products or simply as a form of goodwill. These cards depicted a wide range of subjects, from sentimental scenes and children to patriotic motifs and product advertisements, making them a valuable window into the social and cultural history of the era. Many were beautifully printed using chromolithography, a technique that allowed for vibrant and detailed color reproduction.

Ref: 1.0523

• Please visit our store as we are constantly adding more items of all types. Thank you!

Historical Context

The coffee that came with a picture. Lion Coffee began in Toledo, Ohio, in 1864 and became part of the Woolson Spice Company in 1882. Alvin Woolson built the brand by putting picture cards in every package, and the back of this card says so.

A Christmas card in the coffee. Woolson issued large seasonal greeting cards for Christmas, Easter and midsummer.

Condition

Front: very good, bright color; slightly out of square as trimmed. Back: light toning. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in black.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Lion Coffee cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=lion+coffee

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The coffee that came with a picture. Lion Coffee began in Toledo, Ohio, in 1864 and became part of the Woolson Spice Company in 1882. Alvin Woolson built the brand by putting picture cards in every package, and the back of this card says so.

Easter in the coffee can. The large Easter Greetings cards were packed only in the one-pound packages, a reward for the bigger purchase.

Condition

Front: very good, clean color, light edge wear. Back: overall toning with blotchy stains at the center and lower right. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in a single brown ink.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Lion Coffee cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=lion+coffee

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Snuff advertised with apple blossom is a very Victorian combination. Tobacco cards of the period were often at their most delicate, because the advertiser wanted the card kept in a parlor album where a picture of the product itself would never have been welcome.

Helme's Railroad Mills was one of the best-known American snuff brands of its day, and the name alone was the whole message. A card like this needed only to remind.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. The blank reverse is toned, with a few faint pencil marks and a small brown fleck at the upper left; minor edge and corner wear. The front is clean and bright. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

This item comes from the personal collections of my family estate, accumulated over more than 200 years — including items that came west by wagon train to Colorado and later to Oklahoma. Now that my parents have passed we cannot keep all of these cherished items. They were well-educated antiques collectors/traders and continued to build their collections over more than 60 years. The vast majority of the pieces are from the Victorian Era, however there are plenty of older and newer items. Everything has been stored in a climate-controlled environment over time.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

The coffee that came with a picture. Lion Coffee began in Toledo, Ohio, in 1864 and became part of the Woolson Spice Company in 1882. Alvin Woolson built the brand by putting picture cards in every package, and the back of this card says so.

Printed by Knapp. Knapp & Co. of New York was one of the great color printers of the period.

Condition

Front: very good, bright color. The top left corner has a small chip with tan board showing and a short crack running in from it. Back: toned. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in a single brown ink.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Lion Coffee cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=lion+coffee

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The coffee that came with a picture. Lion Coffee began in Toledo, Ohio, in 1864 and became part of the Woolson Spice Company in 1882. Alvin Woolson built the brand by putting picture cards in every package, and the back of this card says so.

Condition

Front: good color and gold; card slightly out of square with softly rounded corners. Back: light toning. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The gold band is printed in metallic ink, and the back is printed in black.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Lion Coffee cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=lion+coffee

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The coffee that came with a picture. Lion Coffee began in Toledo, Ohio, in 1864 and became part of the Woolson Spice Company in 1882. Alvin Woolson built the brand by putting picture cards in every package, and the back of this card says so.

Condition

Front: small chips in the border at the top. Back: edge staining at the top. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in black.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Lion Coffee cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=lion+coffee

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The coffee that came with a picture. Lion Coffee began in Toledo, Ohio, in 1864 and became part of the Woolson Spice Company in 1882. Alvin Woolson built the brand by putting picture cards in every package, and the back of this card says so.

Condition

Front: pink ink dashes and small black dots at upper left; even toning. Back: even toning. Please judge from the photos. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in black.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Lion Coffee cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=lion+coffee

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Coffee by the package. In the 1880s branded, packaged coffee was pushing out loose beans sold from the grocer's bin, and roasters handed out picture cards to win loyal customers. Dilworth's answer to why its coffee was best: "because" it is unequalled.

Donkey rides on the sand. A sailor-suited boy and a bonneted girl on a pair of shaggy donkeys capture a favorite Victorian seaside pleasure, for collectors of children, beach and donkey subjects.

Condition

Front: very good, with bright color, light toning, light edge wear and lightly rounded corners. Back: water staining with tide lines across the top band and below the printing, several round stain spots near the bottom, a scuffed patch of surface at the upper right corner, a few small specks, and overall toning. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in black type, separate from the color work on the front.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Victorian advertising trade cards for coffee, spices and baking soda are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

This is the travel series, the same one as the Dublin card: fifty stops on an armchair tour of the world, one to a package of coffee. For a family in Kansas in 1891, the tower at Belem and the grape arbors of Portugal were exactly as far away as the moon, and a card like this was how they arrived.

The grapevine running through the design is the clue to what Portugal meant to an American of the period — wine and port, the country's best-known export.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. Light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Oregon's picture is its industry: salmon, caught in the rivers and canned for shipment east. The cans in the corner are the whole story of the Columbia River in the 1880s — a fish that had fed the region for thousands of years, turning into a product sold in grocery stores across the country.

Watch the northern border. The card labels Washington T., for Territory. Washington became a state in November 1889, so this map was drawn just before it happened.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. Light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

COAL - IRON - OIL is Pennsylvania in three words, and in 1889 it was the industrial heart of the country. The first commercial oil well had been drilled in the state thirty years before, and the vignettes follow the chain from the ground to the railroad: dig it, smelt it, roll it, ship it.

“Shooting” an oil well meant dropping explosives down the bore to crack the rock and start the oil flowing — dangerous work, and a spectacle people came to watch.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. Light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Horses and whiskey — Kentucky's reputation was already fixed by 1889, and the card simply prints it. The Kentucky Derby had been run for fifteen years, and Bluegrass bourbon was sold across the country.

The spelling “whisky,” without the e, is what the card uses. American distillers of the period used both.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. White abrasions and small patches of surface loss across the distillery vignette in the upper right; small creases; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The racehorse and the map remain bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

West Virginia was barely a quarter-century old when this card was printed, having split from Virginia during the Civil War. The map makes the point quietly, with Virginia drawn as a separate state along the eastern border.

The refinery and the tank cars show what the new state was selling. Oil and gas had been found along its rivers, and the railroad carried it out.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. A few small brown spots in the upper part of the image; light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

“A beautiful picture card in every package” is the whole strategy in one line. The picture has nothing to do with coffee and was never meant to. The design number in the corner gives it away: this is a printer's stock design, and Blanke bought it to put in the package because a pretty card got the next package bought.

The blend is named by where the beans came from — Java, Mocha, Maracaibo and Santos. Coffee was still sold by its port of origin, and a four-port blend was a way of promising something better than the plain Rio most people drank. The card does not say where Blanke was based; the company is generally associated with St. Louis.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. A circular water stain beside the rose in the upper right; fine surface crazing across the lower half of the front; a crease through the lower-left corner running through the design number; small surface losses along the top edge; a stain to the lower left of the reverse. Colors remain strong. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

This item comes from the personal collections of my family estate, accumulated over more than 200 years — including items that came west by wagon train to Colorado and later to Oklahoma. Now that my parents have passed we cannot keep all of these cherished items. They were well-educated antiques collectors/traders and continued to build their collections over more than 60 years. The vast majority of the pieces are from the Victorian Era, however there are plenty of older and newer items. Everything has been stored in a climate-controlled environment over time.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

Beer and lumber were Wisconsin's two great industries in 1889, and the card gives one to each half of the picture. Milwaukee's brewers, many of them German immigrants, were already shipping beer nationally; the northern pineries were feeding the sawmills that built the prairie towns.

The copper brew kettle is drawn with real care, which is typical of this series: the artists clearly worked from real industrial scenes rather than inventing them.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. Light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The foreign map series put a country on one side of a card and its reputation on the other side of the picture. For Ireland, Arbuckle chose Killarney — lakes, trees, and a tourist on a jaunting car — rather than the Dublin they had shown in the travel series.

The government line, Constitutional Monarchy, is a period detail in itself. In 1889 Ireland was part of the United Kingdom, and the card lists it as a country of its own.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. Foxing and scattered spots along the top edge of the reverse; light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The coffee that came with a picture. Lion Coffee began in Toledo, Ohio, in 1864 and became part of the Woolson Spice Company in 1882. Alvin Woolson built the brand by putting picture cards in every package, and the back of this card says so.

Condition

Front: very good, clean color. Back: small edge losses and scuffing at the corners and along the bottom line of text. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in black.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Lion Coffee cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=lion+coffee

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The coffee that won the West. The Arbuckle brothers began roasting coffee in Pittsburgh and moved the business to New York City in 1871. John Arbuckle patented an egg-based glaze for roasted beans in 1868, and the packaged Ariosa brand became famous on the frontier. The back of this card explains the glaze in the company's own words.

Fifty views of the world. This is number 6 of the 1891 "Views from a Trip Around the World" series, one of the many numbered sets Arbuckle packed with its coffee to keep families buying, and collecting.

Antwerp, Holland? The front captions the city as being in Holland, while the text on the back correctly calls Antwerp "the chief commercial city of Belgium." A small slip of the period that collectors enjoy.

Printed by Knapp. The card is signed by Joseph P. Knapp, Lith., N.Y., one of the major color printers behind the Arbuckle series.

Condition

Very good. Front: colors bright and clean; corners lightly worn, the upper right slightly soft; light edge wear. Back: even light toning and a few tiny specks; print crisp and fully legible. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in a single blue ink.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Arbuckle and other Victorian coffee trade cards, and trade cards for thread and patent medicines, are in our store.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

This card catches South Dakota at the moment it became a state. The Dakota Territory was divided and both halves admitted in November 1889, the same year as the copyright line — and Arbuckle already had a card for each half.

The elk herd is the picture of the country before the settlers finished arriving. The population figure is the other clue. This card prints 67,589 and the North Dakota card 67,588 — together 135,177, the 1880 census count for the whole Dakota Territory. Arbuckle appears simply to have split the old figure in half, because no separate count for either state yet existed.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. Light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Siberia was the one place on the foreign map series with no industry to show except punishment. Russia sent convicts and political exiles east to the mines, and by the late 1880s American readers knew about it from George Kennan's reports in The Century magazine, which caused a sensation.

The shackle and chain beside the map is not decoration. For an American coffee buyer in 1889, Siberia meant exile.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. Light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Read down the left edge of the reverse and it spells B-B-B-B-C-O-F-F-E-E. A word puzzle on the back of a coffee card rewarded the reader for looking twice, and anyone who worked it out remembered the name.

The card does not say who roasted B.B.B.B. Coffee or where. That is part of its interest: a brand confident enough to go by four initials, and small enough that the name has not come down to us attached to a company.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. A small brown adhesion spot on the right of the reverse; a soft crease with light damage at the lower-right corner, visible on both sides; some rubbing across the center of the rose; light surface soiling. Colors remain rich. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Illinois gets two industries that would both have been instantly recognizable to a buyer in 1889. The Elgin watch works outside Chicago was one of the largest in the world, and Illinois factories were making the plows and reapers that were opening the prairie farms further west.

The women at the watch benches are a detail worth noticing. Fine assembly work of this kind was widely given to women workers, and the card shows it as simply part of the scene.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. Light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

This item comes from the personal collections of my family estate, accumulated over more than 200 years — including items that came west by wagon train to Colorado and later to Oklahoma. Now that my parents have passed we cannot keep all of these cherished items. They were well-educated antiques collectors/traders and continued to build their collections over more than 60 years. The vast majority of the pieces are from the Victorian Era, however there are plenty of older and newer items. Everything has been stored in a climate-controlled environment over time.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

North Dakota in 1889 was wheat, and nothing else on the card needs saying. The great bonanza farms of the Red River Valley ran to tens of thousands of acres, worked by gangs of men and machines exactly like the ones drawn here.

Like the South Dakota card, this one arrived just as the territory was divided. Both halves became states in November 1889, and Arbuckle had a map ready for each. The population figures give the game away: this card prints 67,588 and the South Dakota card 67,589. Together they make 135,177, the 1880 census count for the whole Dakota Territory. Arbuckle appears simply to have split the old figure in half.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. Light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

This item comes from the personal collections of my family estate, accumulated over more than 200 years — including items that came west by wagon train to Colorado and later to Oklahoma. Now that my parents have passed we cannot keep all of these cherished items. They were well-educated antiques collectors/traders and continued to build their collections over more than 60 years. The vast majority of the pieces are from the Victorian Era, however there are plenty of older and newer items. Everything has been stored in a climate-controlled environment over time.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

Colorado in 1889 meant mountains and silver. Leadville and the other mining camps had made fortunes in the previous decade, and the silver mine at the foot of the card was the reason most people had come.

The Mount of the Holy Cross was famous from William Henry Jackson's photograph of the snow-filled cross on its face, and it was one of the best-known mountain views in America. The card puts it alongside Pike's Peak as the two Colorado landmarks a buyer back east would recognize.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. Light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

This item comes from the personal collections of my family estate, accumulated over more than 200 years — including items that came west by wagon train to Colorado and later to Oklahoma. Now that my parents have passed we cannot keep all of these cherished items. They were well-educated antiques collectors/traders and continued to build their collections over more than 60 years. The vast majority of the pieces are from the Victorian Era, however there are plenty of older and newer items. Everything has been stored in a climate-controlled environment over time.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

Mexico in 1889 was drawing American railroads and investment south, and the mule train in the corner shows the country those railroads were replacing — goods carried over the mountains on animals, as they had been for centuries.

The bullfight was the image every American reader associated with Mexico, and the card leads with it. It is the most dramatic scene in the foreign map series.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. Light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

This item comes from the personal collections of my family estate, accumulated over more than 200 years — including items that came west by wagon train to Colorado and later to Oklahoma. Now that my parents have passed we cannot keep all of these cherished items. They were well-educated antiques collectors/traders and continued to build their collections over more than 60 years. The vast majority of the pieces are from the Victorian Era, however there are plenty of older and newer items. Everything has been stored in a climate-controlled environment over time.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

The back makes an unusual confession: this coffee costs the grocer more than any other package brand. Most advertisers hid their price. McLaughlin put it up front and turned it into the argument — the grocer pays more, so the grocer must think it is worth it, and you get five cents a pound of value you did not pay for.

Packaged coffee in one-pound bags was still a new idea. Most people bought coffee loose, often green, and roasted it at home. A card like this was selling the package as much as the coffee.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. A paler strip along the left edge of the front; a small stain on the boy's cheek; light foxing to the lower left of the reverse; minor edge and corner wear. The printed image remains clear and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This card was printed from a single stone in one ink, on tinted stock — an economical choice, since the colored card supplies a second tone at no extra press pass. The design was drawn by hand in reverse on the stone, the shading built from the density of the drawn marks rather than from color.

Under magnification the tone resolves into hand-drawn stipple, not a mechanical screen. There is no halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show.

Provenance

This item comes from the personal collections of my family estate, accumulated over more than 200 years — including items that came west by wagon train to Colorado and later to Oklahoma. Now that my parents have passed we cannot keep all of these cherished items. They were well-educated antiques collectors/traders and continued to build their collections over more than 60 years. The vast majority of the pieces are from the Victorian Era, however there are plenty of older and newer items. Everything has been stored in a climate-controlled environment over time.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

The coffee that came with a picture. Lion Coffee began in Toledo, Ohio, in 1864 and became part of the Woolson Spice Company in 1882. Alvin Woolson built the brand by putting picture cards in every package, and the back of this card says so.

Condition

Front: very good, clean color. Back: heavy staining and scuffing, with small paper losses at the corners; text legible. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The back is printed in black.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Lion Coffee cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=lion+coffee

More Victorian advertising trade cards are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Fish and dairy, the two things the Dutch sent abroad, are how the card sums up the country. The women on the beach are the fishermen's wives who carried the catch inland to market, and they were a favorite subject for painters of the period.

The map is drawn on a scroll unrolling across the card, one of the more inventive layouts in the foreign series.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. A small pencil mark at the upper right of the reverse; light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

This item comes from the personal collections of my family estate, accumulated over more than 200 years — including items that came west by wagon train to Colorado and later to Oklahoma. Now that my parents have passed we cannot keep all of these cherished items. They were well-educated antiques collectors/traders and continued to build their collections over more than 60 years. The vast majority of the pieces are from the Victorian Era, however there are plenty of older and newer items. Everything has been stored in a climate-controlled environment over time.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

Arbuckle sold coffee by making the package worth opening. Fifty animals in one series, fifty maps in another, distributed so that no two packages in a case matched — a child who wanted the complete set had to keep the family buying coffee. It is a loyalty scheme a century before the phrase existed, and it worked well enough that Arbuckle became one of the largest coffee businesses in the country.

The reverse contains a small masterpiece of competitive advertising. Arbuckle observes that rival manufacturers, recommending their own goods, have known no higher praise than to say “It's just as good as Arbuckles'.” Quoting your competitors' own words back as proof of your standing is a move that has aged very well.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. Creasing and a short split across the upper right of the card; light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

This item comes from the personal collections of my family estate, accumulated over more than 200 years — including items that came west by wagon train to Colorado and later to Oklahoma. Now that my parents have passed we cannot keep all of these cherished items. They were well-educated antiques collectors/traders and continued to build their collections over more than 60 years. The vast majority of the pieces are from the Victorian Era, however there are plenty of older and newer items. Everything has been stored in a climate-controlled environment over time.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

Arbuckle ran several numbered series at once, and this is the travel series: fifty stops on an armchair tour of the world, one per package of coffee. The reverse reads like a guidebook, and for many households in 1891 it was the only guidebook to Dublin they would ever own.

The front shows the working of the series well. A city view, a landmark, and a pair of local types — the colleen and the laborer — each framed like a postcard pinned to a board. It is how most Americans of the period expected to meet a foreign country: as a set of pictures, collected one at a time.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. A short split and a small brown spot at the bottom edge below the title; wear to the lower-left corner; light edge toning; minor corner wear elsewhere. The chromolithographed image remains bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

This item comes from the personal collections of my family estate, accumulated over more than 200 years — including items that came west by wagon train to Colorado and later to Oklahoma. Now that my parents have passed we cannot keep all of these cherished items. They were well-educated antiques collectors/traders and continued to build their collections over more than 60 years. The vast majority of the pieces are from the Victorian Era, however there are plenty of older and newer items. Everything has been stored in a climate-controlled environment over time.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

Not every Arbuckle card belonged to a numbered series. Alongside the maps and the travel views, the company packed plain picture cards like this one, with the full sales argument on the back and nothing on the front but a scene to keep.

The back is the most complete statement of Arbuckle's case: coffee sold roasted and glazed in a sealed package, rather than loose from a barrel. The glaze of egg and sugar kept the beans fresh, and Arbuckle wanted every customer to know it was there.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. Several patches of surface paper loss on the reverse, where the card was once glued into an album, passing through parts of the text; a pencil name at the top of the reverse; minor edge and corner wear. The front is clean and bright. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

This item comes from the personal collections of my family estate, accumulated over more than 200 years — including items that came west by wagon train to Colorado and later to Oklahoma. Now that my parents have passed we cannot keep all of these cherished items. They were well-educated antiques collectors/traders and continued to build their collections over more than 60 years. The vast majority of the pieces are from the Victorian Era, however there are plenty of older and newer items. Everything has been stored in a climate-controlled environment over time.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

The coffee that came with a picture. Lion Coffee began in Toledo, Ohio, in 1864 and became part of the Woolson Spice Company in 1882. Alvin Woolson built the brand by putting picture cards in every package, and this card says so on its back.

Cut out the lion's head. The premium system printed here, save the lion heads from the wrappers and trade them for pictures, books and games, made Lion one of the best-known coffee brands of its day and filled family albums with cards like this one.

Roses in the snow. A summer rose set against a winter cottage is a favorite Victorian contrast, and the deep embossing makes this one of the more sculptural cards of the period. A good card for collectors of florals, winter scenes and Toledo history.

Condition

Used, with age wear. Front: a crease with a short surface break runs in about 1 in. from the left edge at mid-height, by the lower rosebud; a short crease near the lower right corner and light creasing at the lower left corner; corners lightly worn; a few small specks in the margins; light even toning. Back: light toning, the embossing shows through as expected, light creasing at the lower left and a small crease line at the right edge; no writing. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The rose, leaves and scene are embossed, and the relief shows through on the back. The back is printed in a single blue ink.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Victorian advertising trade cards for coffee, spices and baking soda are in our store.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.